The 18-6-1 Senate vote followed after two weeks of student debate about the $29 million project slated for construction on the West Campus and a proposed $175 per semester student fee to fund it.

The vote came after SGA reached a compromise on the proposed fee, allowing a graduated scale per academic year.

During the 2010 academic year, students will pay a $75 fee per semester. That fee will increase during the 2011 academic year to $125 per semester.

The final increase to $175 per semester begins during the 2012 academic year and will held constant for the remainder of the 30-year bond.

“I’m proud of the professionalism students displayed while debating the pros and cons of this opportunity for our campus,” said SGA President Zach Mullins. “I’m happy to see we reached a compromise that will benefit the students through a gradual increase in student fees rather than a significant immediate increase.”

Wednesday’s Senate vote to approve the resolution is the first step in a series of moves before final approval and construction can begin.

The Senate resolution senate now proceeds to the GCSU Mandatory Student Fee Committee for a vote.

“I feel confident that the student representatives will be consistent with the Senate resolution and move forward with their approval of the fee,” Mullins said.

Georgia College President Dorothy Leland will make a formal fee requests and ask the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to approve the fee in an expedited fashion. If granted, that approval would be expected in Spring 2010.

“The graduated fee structure will be less of an immediate burden on the students and will allow the economic conditions to improve as the fee increases,” Leland said. “I am grateful that Board of Regents staff allowed us to restructure the financial structure for the benefit of students.”

SGA representatives have been involved with the proposed project during its planning stages and served on the Campus Wellness Committee appointed several years ago by President Leland. The committee, chaired by College of Health Sciences Dean Sandra Gangstead, was charged with assessing campus wellness needs and developing a plan to meet those needs. The plan proposed by the committee includes the Wellness and Recreation Center.

Construction on the Center could begin as early as April 2010. The building would be scheduled to open in Fall 2011.

The proposed 100,000-square-foot, environmentally friendly Center would further the university’s efforts to enhance “wellness” as one of the university’s cornerstones.

The building would be designed to reflect a holistic approach to campus health and well-being. It would afford students the opportunity to use integrated wellness services that focus on the main components of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, socio-cultural, environmental, and life-planning health programs.

An aquatic center would feature a competitive-size indoor pool that would allow intramural aquatic sports while providing exercise opportunities and aquatic therapy for swimming laps and swimming for leisure. Basketball and volleyball courts would offer additional facilities for intramural teams and recreation.

The Center also would offer social spaces, personal training, extreme sports, cardiovascular workout facilities, a food and juice bar, an indoor track, climbing wall, a two-court gym and multipurpose gym, Health Services, Counseling Services and a Public Safety station.